Located 45 kilometres outside of the heart of Udon Thani city, this lake is off the beaten track for most international tourists – if you are traveling from Bangkok, it takes eight hours to travel by bus, ten hours by rail, or one hour by domestic flight. Despite its inaccessibility, this lake is actually very popular with local couples and families.

There’s a catch: this large lake looks pretty ordinary for most parts of the year, as the gorgeous pink blooms only appear from October to the end of March, just after the rainy season. If you want to take beautiful photographs of a pink flower ocean, take note that the lotus flowers open in full bloom from December to February.

Viewing the spectacular scenery will also take more than just good travelling timing: it requires you to wake up early! The lotus flowers only open from sunrise to noon: they open at the crack of dawn, and close when the afternoon heat starts to kick in. Reach any later, and you will find yourself disappointed for sure.

You can’t see the pink lotus flowers just by standing on the shore, so you have to rent a boat at Ban Diam first. While it is possible to get to Ban Diam from Udon Thani by public transport, it is recommended that you head there via a rented vehicle, or even a taxi (will cost up to THB1500).

Tourists recommend that you rent a smaller boat so that you can go further into the flowers for better pictures, and a more intimate experience. Of course, if you tend to get seasick or have up to eight people travelling with you, you can opt for the bigger boat instead.